Van Morrison

Roll With The Punches – Van Morrison’s 37th studio album – sees him simultaneously hand-picking a selection of rhythm and blues classics (by the likes of Bo Diddley, Mose Allison, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Lightnin’ Hopkins among others) and recording a set of new self-written songs.

“From a very early age, I connected with the blues. The thing about the blues is you don’t dissect it –you just do it. I’ve never over-analysed what I do; I just do it. Music has to be about just doing it and that’s the way the blues works –it’s an attitude. I was lucky to have met people who were the real thing –people like John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Witherspoon, Bo Diddley, Little Walter & Mose Allison. I got to hang out with them and absorb what they did. They were people with no ego whatsoever and they helped me learn a lot.”